City-states and Special Economic Zones can speed development of off-planet resources in ways that benefit all (presentation for at New Worlds Conference in Austin, Texas, November 15-16, 2019)

1. A NEW HANSEATIC
LEAGUE FOR SPACE
Opportunity for an omni-
win?
MARK FRAZIER
NEW WORLDS CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 16, 2019
AUSTIN, TEXAS

2. TODAY’S CHALLENGES… AND AN OPPORTUNITY
• Great power rivalries are intensifying
• Entrepreneurs need welcoming environments
• Treaties are mandating that space benefits all humanity
A federation of space-based communities can offer paths
through gridlock…

3. A PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
1. Discovered new
country projects via
Reason
2. Set up a global competition for
Earthport - a freeport for commercial
space launches (1976-79)
3. Worked in 50+ countries on free
economic zones, technology
parks, and entrepreneurial schools
4. Am now assisting projects to create community land trusts,
introduce policy reforms, and promote contract-based governance

4. HANSEATIC LEAGUE 1.0
(12TH -17TH CENTURIES)
• More than 100 free zones and free cities in
Northern Europe created a guild-based
trade federation
• It rested on no central political authority –
cities instead agreed on common standards
for trade, money, and arbitration
• The League used boycotts and sanctions
against multiple predators, including
powerful nations and warlords
• It fell primarily because of resentments by
foreign merchants towards its closed trade
enclaves

5. WHY A NEW HANSEATIC LEAGUE FOR SPACE?
It builds on proven precedents. On Earth, thousands of free economic zones and
free cities offer high trust environments for companies to thrive.
It can enable soft power competitions by a full spectrum of off-planet players.
• Singapore, Dubai, Estonia, Luxembourg and other small countries can use a New
Hanseatic League to offer business friendly environments on the new frontier.
• Today’s dominant powers can provide opt-in economic governance solutions via
the League.
Space-based communities and trade hubs also can be testbeds for open source
governance including Blockchain, liquid democracy, Holocracy, and other consent-
based systems.
The League also can create covenants to directly vest every individual on Earth
with (minute but real) fractional shares in new “moonshot” ventures.
More than 3500 Special Economic
Zones now exist in 100+ countries

6. LAND TRUST PRECEDENTS FOR FREE CITIES IN SPACE
Lifting taxes and red tape burdens has led to 5x – 50x
rises in property values in free economic zones.
Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau today hold
land as a commons. They are earning tens of billions of
dollars from long-term ground leases. Proceeds help
fund education and social services, as well as growth
dividend payments (in Macau) that go directly to
residents.
Similar land trust solutions can generate revenue for all
space settlers – and help fund scientific and civil society
initiatives to further open the frontier.

7. NEXT STEPS –
1. Spread economic governance innovations in startup
societies and free zones on Earth.
2. Create mods of city-building games to simulate new
governance options and growth scenarios for off-
planet communities.
3. Launch virtual guilds and eResidency initiatives –
after Estonia’s revenue-generating precedent – to
grow grassroots support for the New Hanseatic
League.
We welcome your inputs –
White paper: https://is.gd/NewHanseaticLeague
Email: mark@startupsocieties.org